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Indoors doesn't have to mean boring

Jan. 6, 2024 - 16:01 By Lee Si-jin

The winter may have you huddling indoors to avoid the weather, but that doesn't mean you have to narrow your horizons.

To prove this, Gyeonggi Tourism Organization has announced six indoor destinations in Gyeonggi Province for travelers looking to enjoy the holidays while avoiding the cold weather.

The recommended destinations include museums featuring trick art, comics, a virtual reality studio and more.

Paju Heyri Trick Art

Visitors pose for photos at Heyri Trick Art in Paju, Gyeonggi Province. (Heyri Trick Art)

Located in northwestern Gyeonggi Province, Paju Heyri Trick Art is one of the popular tourist destinations at Heyri Art Village, a neighborhood where artists from diverse fields of expertise have gathered at an art complex.

Every corner of the museum presents comics and eye-deceiving images, turning even the fainthearted into camera-ready models.

Visitors of all ages can enjoy the museum, becoming a thief stealing the "Mona Lisa" or a farmer working on a ranch.

Though the museum has recently been closed, it opens again starting Friday.

Tickets are 7,000 won and 8,000 won for children and adults, respectively. Visitors receive a 10 percent discount with an online reservation via Naver Booking.

Bucheon Korea Manhwa Museum

Korea Manhwa Museum (Komacon)

The Korea Manhwa Museum is a must-visit destination for graphic novel enthusiasts and webtoon lovers.

The museum offers a permanent exhibition showcasing the history of manhwa -- the Korean term for comics -- and their evolution to webtoons.

The webtoon exhibition hall sheds light on iconic webtoon projects from the late 1990s to 2010 that had a significant influence on the country’s creative content industry.

With giant cartoon magazines and murals featuring manhwa characters, travelers can make Instagrammable photos and immerse themselves into the world of Korean webtoons.

Visitors can easily spot the wide open square of Korea Manhwa Museum after about a walk of just three or four minutes from Samsan Gymnasium Station Exit No. 5 on Subway Line No. 7.

Yangju VR Playing Center

Space Delta at Yangju VR Playing Center in Yangju, Gyeonggi Province. (Yangju VR Playing Center)

Explore different places in Yangju, a popular winter getaway with an annual snow festival and outdoor exhibitions, with virtual reality and augmented reality devices at Yangju VR Playing Center.

The cultural experience complex consists of 11 VR and AR experiences, including a roller coaster, jet and more.

Space Delta in the Ggumi Zone is a must-experience VR ride, allowing users to tour the entire city of Yangju from a cozy chair.

Though most of the attractions are available for visitors of all ages, Space Delta and the flying jet are available only for those above 100 and 130 centimeters in height, respectively.

Yangju VR Playing Center requires online reservations via the official website, www.kguide.kr/yangjuvr.

Tickets are 5,000 won for those older than 14. Admission for children is 4,000 won.

The VR center opens from Tuesday to Saturday.

Jeongok Prehistory Museum, Yangpyeong Insect Museum and Museum Ground

Jeongok Prehistory Museum (Jeongok Prehistory Museum)
Insect Museum in Yangpyeong, Gyeonggi Province (Yangpyeong County)

For those seeking tranquility in a calm museum atmosphere, visit Jeongok Prehistory Museum in Yeoncheon and Insect Museum in Yangpyeong.

Though the museums might not present a thrilling experience with activities or comic images, they showcase huge amounts of data that have been stored for a long time.

Jeongok Prehistory Museum offers a chance to explore relics and items at the Jeongok-ri prehistoric site following a total of 20 excavations. It exhibits various items to learn about early human activities and groundbreaking materials for research on the Lower Paleolithic stone industries.

Yangpyeong's Insect Museum exhibits a total of 1,500 insect specimens to share knowledge and insights into entomology.

Walking around the two-story building, visitors can see more than 500 different types of insects that can be found both in Yangpyeong and around the world.

Museum Ground in Yongin, Gyeonggi Province (Museum Ground)

Meanwhile, Museum Ground in Yongin provides a unique docent program to tell stories about various animals, offering time to think about the ways to coexist with animals in harmony.

The animal-themed exhibition "Zoo in the Ground," created by artists Kim Woo-jin, Lee Jae-hyung and Kim Young-sung, is being held at the museum as well.

The exhibition, which started in November last year, runs through May 19.